Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, and they're checked off or monitored by the fire chief.
• Just give me some background as to why they're not covered. Mr. Chair, good question.
• So for me, background, for those of you I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet.
• They would continue to use the same checking account as the ambulance service or the same EIN, federal
• Application after application had either the same EIN or the same checking account, and it just didn't

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee was called to order, a quorum was established, and the minutes from the prior meeting were approved. The first major presentation came from Montana Public Employees Retirement System executive director William Hollahan, who gave an overview of Montana’s Volunteer Firefighters’ Compensation Act plan. He explained that the plan covers volunteer firefighters in unincorporated areas, is funded by 5% of state fire insurance premium taxes, and currently serves 228 departments with about 2,936 active members and 1,242 retirees. He described eligibility rules, annual training and reporting requirements, benefit levels for partial and full pensions, disability, death, medical, and funeral benefits, and said the plan is actuarially sound with roughly $60 million in assets and a funded ratio slightly above 100%. Committee members asked about prior-service credit, whether EMS personnel are included, the effect on recruitment and retention, and whether expanding coverage would require a funding analysis; Hollahan said prior service is not credited, EMS is not currently included, and any expansion would need financial review. Tim Walleen of Workforce Safety and Insurance then presented a draft North Dakota workers’ compensation solution for volunteer firefighters and volunteer EMS personnel. He explained that volunteer responders are already covered by workers’ comp for medical and wage-loss benefits, but the proposal would set a minimum annual wage of $30,000 for calculating wage-loss benefits for qualifying volunteers, with the benefit paid at two-thirds of that amount. Representative Porter suggested tying the volunteer definition to existing code rather than a fixed dollar amount, and Walleen agreed. Questions focused on whether search and rescue or other volunteer emergency services could be included, whether departments would face new paperwork, and whether volunteer organizations can already elect coverage; Walleen said there would be no additional paperwork and that volunteer coverage is already available. The committee also heard from volunteer fire service representatives and the state fire marshal. An Oakes-area firefighter, Mr. Olson, testified that small departments are struggling with retention, communication, and administrative burdens, especially around separate bookkeeping and funding rules for donated or fundraising money, and he said departments need clearer guidance from the state. State Fire Marshal Dr. Matthew Clark introduced himself and outlined a broader effort to improve education, support, and coordination for fire departments, including a planned 10% audit of certificates of existence beginning in 2027, more outreach through his office, and better assistance with training, reporting, and grant access. He said his office is authorized under current law to provide these services, but the role has been vague and underused. Finally, Arnagard Rural Fire District Chief Rick Schreiber testified in favor of new recruitment and retention ideas, including retirement-style benefits, health insurance, tax incentives, scholarships, grants, and more remote or regional training. He said volunteer departments are losing members, that local tax and donation funds are already stretched, and that any new retirement or incentive program should be sustainable and likely involve a mix of state and local support.

Transcript Highlights:

• First is a little bit of background.
• So that's my background.
• The question I have related to dual credit is that in the background of that, there's a little bit of
• Oh, you're going to check me. I can go to Indy Insights and find that too. Ms.
• Oh, you're going to check me. I can go to Indy Insights and find that too. Ms.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed the 2024-25 tuition waiver report for the North Dakota University System. Staff explained that waivers were reported for degree-seeking students and broken out by residency, institution, and waiver type. Members asked about partial versus full waivers, institutional discretion, athletic waivers, and whether campuses have published guardrails or transparency requirements. Staff said most waivers are set by institutions, with some statutory and board-required categories, and that athletic waivers are a small share of total waiver dollars. The report showed total gross tuition of $354.5 million, tuition waived of $38.9 million, and 11,193 of 42,040 students receiving some waiver. Members also discussed how waivers affect net tuition revenue, housing and food collections, and whether campuses are using waivers strategically compared with scholarships and other funding sources. The committee then heard a presentation on tuition rates by campus and State Board policy. Staff explained the board’s tuition factors for resident, Minnesota reciprocity, contiguous-state/U.S. nonresident, and international students, and noted that campuses often seek exceptions based on program-specific competition and enrollment goals. Members asked whether rates are based on cost or competition, and staff said campuses typically bring forward estimates and market comparisons when requesting special rates. The presentation also reviewed general fund appropriations versus net tuition revenue by campus, and members discussed how local tuition decisions and waivers do not directly affect the state funding formula, though they do affect institutional revenue and reserves. Questions were also raised about the Higher Learning Commission’s financial composite indicator and how it differs from the more intuitive reserve and revenue figures. The committee next received a broad overview of non-higher-education entities affiliated with the State Board of Higher Education, beginning with NDSU agriculture-related units. Dr. Greg Lardy described the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, the NDSU Extension Service, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the branch research centers, emphasizing their statewide role in crop and livestock research, extension education, and county-based outreach. He outlined funding mixes for extension, the experiment station, and branch stations, noting that grants and contracts support both research and education, while the agronomy seed farm is self-funded through seed sales. Members asked about the new and vacant FTE pool, R1 research status, matching requirements for grants, and whether state appropriations count toward research expenditures. Dr. Lardy also highlighted major research impacts, including crop varieties, virtual fencing, AI-assisted weed control, and NDAWN weather data. The Northern Crops Institute and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute also presented. NCI described its role in market development, technical services, and education for regional agriculture, its governance through the Northern Crops Council, and its funding from state appropriations, other states, and earned revenue. Members asked about the source of out-of-state funding, intellectual property, and the institute’s international reach. UGPTI then outlined its transportation research, federal and state funding structure, and work on road and bridge condition assessments, travel demand modeling, and workforce training. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I agree, and that's something we can definitely check and do some more work on.
• The line varies, that they don't have the same background and training.
• The line varies, that they don't have the same background and training.
• The line varies, that they don't have the same background and training.
• The line varies, that they don't have the same background and training.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the prior meeting minutes, and then heard testimony on the use of artificial intelligence in therapy and mental health settings. Representative Lisa Willner and Brenda Rosen of NASW Kentucky argued for “guard rails” on AI chatbots so they cannot present themselves as licensed therapists or replace school counselors, psychologists, or social workers. They said AI can support licensed professionals, but warned that chatbots cannot reliably recognize nonverbal cues, escalate crises, or provide accountable care, and they cited examples of harmful chatbot interactions, including a suicide case and a chatbot telling a user to “Please die.” The witnesses also raised concerns about data privacy, commercialization of sensitive mental health conversations, and the use of personal clinical content to train AI models. They said minors should require parental consent and suggested transparency about how a chatbot is trained and who created it. They distinguished between unvetted consumer chatbots and AI tools that have been scientifically validated or approved as digital therapeutics, noting that some evidence-based tools may be useful for specific conditions such as depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. Committee members asked whether regulation should be handled by the legislature or by professional boards, and whether a multi-state model would be preferable to 50 different state approaches. The witnesses generally favored expert-led standards and said a board or panel of experts could review and approve mental health chatbots, but members cautioned that boards can become too restrictive and that legislation should preserve flexibility and avoid discouraging children from seeking help. The discussion ended with a request for the witnesses to restate their proposed policy ideas, including privacy protections, bans on commercialization, limits on training AI with clinical content, transparency requirements, and informed consent.

Transcript Highlights:

• :28.480> our differences, our backgrounds, our differences, our backgrounds, our languages,<01
• <02:24:26.880> Government Fraudsters cash checks. Government Fraudsters cash checks.
• Instead of agencies a blank check.
• blank check blank check to<05:34:52.638> ICE to ICE to ICE so<05:34:55.440> that<05
• <06:27:45.200> for for them, not another blank check for for them, not another blank check

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's having that information available to them as a second check.
• We do, you guys can check email, text messages, whatever you need to do.
• We're not here to arm check.
• That's their background; that's the language that they speak.
• It has to be done in the background.

Keywords: flooding, emergency response, communication systems, first responders, disaster management, Texas Water Development Board, regional planning, public safety

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on discussions around the recent floods in Texas, specifically addressing emergency preparedness, response coordination, and recovery efforts. Officials from various agencies provided testimonies on the challenges faced during the emergency, including issues with communication systems among first responders. Notably, the need for improved inter-agency communication and technology integration was emphasized, with recommendations for establishing regional communications units for better coordination during disasters. The audience included local government representatives and emergency management partners, who shared insights and experiences from the recent flooding events.

Transcript Highlights:

• But first, I'd like to just give you a little of my background.
• used to have the FBO collect it, and we found that there were little side deals going on in the background
• from all over the world to rent this guy's aircraft, and he uses me, as the insurance requires, to check
• And, you know, we were assured there was a conversation that went on in the background with the FAA,

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met and first considered SB 86, which would make it unlawful for unauthorized aliens to operate commercial motor vehicles in Florida. The sponsor described the bill as a highway safety measure, requiring lawful presence, a valid CDL, English proficiency, and the ability to communicate with law enforcement. The bill also provides for impoundment, custody transfer to federal authorities, a civil penalty on the motor carrier, and an out-of-service order. An amendment was adopted, public testimony included support from the Florida PBA, and the committee reported the bill favorably. The committee then heard SB 706, which preempts naming of major commercial service airports to the state and would rename Palm Beach International Airport as Donald J. Trump International Airport. An amendment was adopted to make the change subject to FAA approval, a trademark agreement, and a reasonable implementation period for Palm Beach County. Palm Beach County representatives supported the measure and the amendment, and the committee reported the bill favorably. Next, the committee approved SB 1670, a specialty license plate bill for the “outsider” plate, after adopting an amendment reducing the Huber Brothers Foundation’s share of proceeds from 25% to 10%. The committee also passed SB 1054, which increases penalties for traffic infractions that result in crashes involving red lights or stop signs, including higher fines, license suspensions, and a one-year bodily injury insurance requirement after injury-causing crashes. Testimony from law enforcement and advocacy groups supported the bill, and it was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered SB 422 on ADS-B aviation surveillance data. The bill would prohibit use of ADS-B data to calculate or collect landing-related fees, and an amendment narrowed the prohibition to fees tied to landings, touch-and-goes, or entering a fee-assessing airspace radius. Aviation groups, pilots, and airport officials offered extensive testimony, with supporters arguing the bill protects safety and prevents inaccurate or surprise billing, while airport representatives said they use the data for fee collection and operational purposes and wanted further changes. Despite those concerns, the committee reported the bill favorably. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• SULLIVAN IS LAID A GREAT HISTORICAL BACKGROUND FOR DISCUSSIONS TODAY.
• I WANT TO TALK ALSO ABOUT, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY BACKGROUND. I'M A LAWYER.
• SO, THAT IS WHERE MY BACKGROUND IS AND WHERE HE LEARNED THE STOCK.
• OUR APPLICATION YOU CHECK IF YOU'VE EVER MADE A CLAIM MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE IS A PRACTICE OUT THERE

Transcript Highlights:

• Subdivision 17 includes... budget amendments background checks for budget amendments background checks
• The final check and balance. We're the elected folks.
• So they're checking to see what that's working.
• So they're checking to see what that's working.
• So they're checking to see what that's working.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You check a box. That's enough for the lawsuit. And Rep.
• that, one of the steps in checking that.
• But understand... ...one of the steps in checking that.
• That's my job to check, and I can lose my license, and the doctor's job to check.
• Long-acting opioids, that was my job to check and the doctor's job to check.

Bills: HB282, HB293, HB390, HB456, HB460, HB561, HB819, HB1023, HB1047, HB1101

Keywords: employment discrimination, criminal history, rehabilitation, hiring process, human rights, gender identity, sexual orientation, workplace equality, labor rights, domestic abuse, unpaid leave, employee rights, workplace protection, mental health, survivor support, workers' compensation, employment benefits, claims process, fraud prevention, legal petition

Transcript Highlights:

• But I'm talking about checking whether Bob Smith is involved in a bunch of voter registration schemes
• Director Jorgensen, Checking whether Bob Smith is involved in a bunch of voter registration schemes.
• Normally when we do an audit, it's straightforward—check to see if someone like Bob Smith is involved
• Because as a question, why do you think it would be adequate even if the judge did check it?
• I'm pretty confident for a judge or a staff to do a check of your address.

Bills: SB1037, SB1040, SB1259, SB1281

Keywords: elections, voting systems, vote tabulation, election security, internet connectivity, offline voting, chain of custody, polling place equipment, counting center, central counting center, election management system, EMS gateway, tabulation equipment, secretary of state, certification, decertification, HAVA, Help America Vote Act, ballot images, audit logs

Transcript Highlights:

• Our precinct, among our neighbors where everyone knew us, we'd show our identification, check off the
• America is about people from different backgrounds... ...best of what America is about.
• from each other's different cultural backgrounds, and also being able to share their own cultural backgrounds
• Thank you. ...and you're bringing that rural background to the urban space you find yourself in.
• How would law enforcement know when to pull someone over to check their legal status?

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm hoping to bring both skills and background to this role going forward.
• <00:05:23.120> to bring uh both skills and background to bring uh both skills and background
• Pavvelo and I plan to provide a high-level background on the Legacy Amendment.
• Pavvelo and I plan to provide a high-level background on the Legacy Amendment.
• It keeps everybody in check good system.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Before approval, each provider goes through a financial review of documents, governance, insurance, background
• checks, and they must be properly licensed; facilities inspected, etc.

Bills: HB2786, HB2787, HB2786, HB2787

Keywords: mental health, substance abuse, appropriation, state funding, emergency declaration, healthcare, State Department of Health, childbirth program, emergency funding, 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Background studies and things like that.
• Background studies and things like that.
• Background studies and things like that.
• Background studies There's some others.
• <01:02:45.200> and because we need to have checks and because we need to have checks and balances

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Just checked in with D&B yesterday. They've not made a request for action there.
• But the last we checked in, they're still looking at the 4,500-unit entitlement.
• So it's not something I can speak to specifically, given that I don't have the background and expertise
• It's not something I can speak to specifically, given that I don't have the background and expertise
• The agenda already provides a very comprehensive background on the Middle Mile Broadband Initiative.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the owner of Kelly Collaborative Medicine and Primary Care in Silver Spring, but also lends her background
• <00:08:24.680> in<00:08:25.040> helping<00:08:25.720> people background in helping
• people background in helping people experiencing<00:08:26.400> homelessness,<00:08:26.840>
• Senate Bill 359, Senator Hanson, Child Care Facilities Criminal History Records Check Requirement.
• Unfortunately, I checked my rule books. I got volumes 22 through 25 here. I can't oppose it.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Thursday, March 12, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Maryland Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation from Pastor Delman Coates, and received several guest introductions, including the doctor of the day, student visitors, homeschool advocates, community leaders, and the Braver Angels group. The chamber also journalized remarks welcoming Dr. Coates and recognized a prayer breakfast, with members offering brief thanks and acknowledgments before moving to legislative business. The Senate handled several messages and nominations, including withdrawal of an appointment, Johns Hopkins Police Accountability Board nominations, and Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners nominations, all referred to Executive Nominations. The chamber also received House Bill 156 and an Executive Nominations Committee report recommending confirmation of a slate of appointments, which was special ordered for later consideration. A motion to return Senate Bill 463 to second reader and special order it for Tuesday was adopted without objection, and Senate Bill 473 was also special ordered for Tuesday. On third reading, the Senate passed a large number of bills, including measures on ignition interlock participation, school construction, port hearing notice, veteran status notation for educators, correctional officer scholarships, benefits exploitation, veterans trust fund applications, presidential electors, advance enrollment for children of active service members, retired law enforcement handgun permits, high-risk pregnancy discharge communication, charitable organization audit thresholds, child care criminal history checks, water pollution discharge permits, blockchain task force creation, franchise registration reform, licensing portability for foreign service members and spouses, Medicaid collaborative care cost-sharing, gift card fraud, school for the deaf board membership, vehicle dealer hearings, massage therapy advertising, protective body armor reporting, lithium-ion battery safety, pharmacy prescriber agreements for opioid use disorder treatment, human relevant research fund contributions, state and higher education email requirements, and auto insurance producer commissions. Most passed unanimously or by wide margins; Senate Bill 348 and Senate Bill 585 passed with 30 and 32 votes in favor, respectively. Senate Bill 140, concerning benefits exploitation, drew extended debate over constitutionality and pending litigation, with one senator citing an Attorney General opinion and another citing a Supreme Court case on neutral principles in church property disputes; the bill ultimately passed with 40 votes. Members later changed several votes on the floor, including on Senate Bills 172, 376, 428, and 48. The session ended while the clerk was beginning to read Senate Bill 629, with the remaining calendar not completed in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, members, by way of background, a vacancy for precinct committeeman, or pre-PCC, must be filled
• Chair, members, by way of background, the Administrative Rules Oversight Committee may review any proposed
• It's about restoring trust, strengthening checks and balances, ensuring the rules issued by agencies,
• It's about restoring trust, strengthening checks and balances, ensuring the rules issued by agencies,
• The chair then noted his own background managing condo associations and asked about how large expenses

Bills: SB1246, SB1338, SB1428, SB1443, SB1501, SB1566, SB1571, SB1645, SB1646, SB1663, SB1688, SB1805, SB1808, SB1825, SCR1023, SCR1029, HB2079, HB2080, HB2130, HB2239, HB2324, HB2375, HB2610, HB2619, HB2620, HB2716, HB2745, HB2749, HB2837, HB2857, HB2968, HB4064, HB4066, HB4087, HB4130, HCR2048, HCR2058

Keywords: homeowners associations, foreclosure, common expense liens, condominiums, special assessments, unit owner, public benefits, eligibility, immigration status, documentation, Arizona law, county governance, supervisorial board, population-based representation, local government, elections, noise pollution, environmental nuisances, building permits, urban development

Transcript Highlights:

• So a voter coming in to vote who is not bringing their ballot in would sign in, get checked in, verified
• So the person comes in, same manner, checks in, gets verified, and instead of somebody handing them a
• What this really does is actually get rid of that check that we need to make sure to verify, because
• So the person comes in, same manner, checks in, gets verified, and instead of somebody handing them a
• What this really does is actually get rid of that check that we need to make sure to verify, because

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of elections-related bills. It first approved three consent items: AB 808, AB 1029, and AB 1072. The committee then took up AB 1249, which would require non-Voter’s Choice Act counties to offer at least one Saturday early-voting location before statewide elections and allow in-person return of vote-by-mail ballots at designated county offices or satellite locations. Supporters said it would expand access for working voters and those with transportation barriers; some members raised concerns about ballot verification and added workload for rural counties. The bill passed the committee on a divided vote and was placed on call for absent members. The committee next considered AB 25, a voter ID and election integrity measure that would require citizenship verification, government ID for voting, tighter voter-roll audits, and a 72-hour ballot-counting deadline. The author and supporters argued it would restore public trust and improve election integrity, while opponents from the League of Women Voters, ACLU California Action, labor groups, disability advocates, and others said it would restrict access, burden vulnerable voters, and amount to voter suppression. After extensive debate, the committee voted the bill out on a narrow split and kept it on call. Members also approved AB 1164, which clarifies when voters are entitled to a replacement ballot and updates the Voter Bill of Rights language; AB 1441, which would create an independent citizens redistricting commission in Merced County despite opposition from the county board over cost and local control; and AB 16, which would clarify county election officials’ authority to begin processing vote-by-mail ballots earlier and clean up outdated code. The committee also heard AB 1411, which would require non-VCA counties to prepare voter education and outreach plans and use a Secretary of State template, with the sponsor saying it would improve voter information statewide.

Transcript Highlights:

• may be funded using revenue from a school district's discretionary millage levy and extend the background
• We want to make sure that we are checking that every single petition looks good.
• And the penalties and fines that are imposed make it very hard on anyone to double-check the address.
• Farmers and workers led the charge to give the people this check on our government in the early 1900s
• Farmers and workers led the charge to give the people this check on our government in the early 1900s

Summary: The committee first took up CS for CS for CS for SB 462 on transportation, adopting a substitute amendment that would require counties receiving transportation surtax proceeds to report how the money is used, prohibit certain airport fees tied to collegiate flight training, create a Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority pilot program, and fund a traffic signal modernization program with $10 million annually from the State Transportation Trust Fund. The amendment also removed several provisions from the bill, including a sales tax transfer to the trust fund, a bid protest-related contracting requirement, and repeal of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council. A late-filed amendment was tabled, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS for CS for SB 628, “Lucy's Law,” on boating safety, which would strengthen penalties for leaving the scene of a vessel accident and reckless vessel operation. Lucy’s parents gave emotional testimony in support, describing the fatal 2022 boating crash and urging stronger accountability. The sponsor withdrew pending amendments, and the bill was reported favorably. CS for CS for SB 700, the Florida Farm Bill, was next; the strike-all amendment covered a broad range of agriculture-related changes, including water fluoridation restrictions, labeling rules, drone restrictions over farmland, disaster recovery programs, an honest services registry, FFA-related provisions, and agricultural land preservation. Testimony included support from agricultural and gun-rights groups, opposition from banking, dental, and local-government advocates, and a lengthy public debate over fluoridation and financial discrimination. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. SB 796 on general permits for distributed wastewater treatment systems was reported favorably with little debate. The committee then took up CS for SB 1618 on K-12 education, adopting a delete-all amendment that combined a wide range of education provisions, including VPK flexibility, agriculture education, financial literacy, reading intervention requirements, teacher assignment reporting, restrictions on spending public funds on political or social activism, postsecondary and workforce-related changes, and other school and college system updates. Several speakers opposed the activism-related funding restriction, while the sponsor said the bill was intended to keep publicly funded schools focused on education; the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered SB 7016 on initiative petitions, adopting a strike-all amendment that would sharply tighten petition circulation rules and increase penalties. The proposal would require circulators to be Florida residents and U.S. citizens, impose training and registration requirements, shorten petition submission deadlines, require more identifying information on petition forms, limit sponsors to one amendment per election cycle, and create new enforcement and investigation triggers, including a 25% invalid-signature threshold. Sponsors argued the changes were needed to address fraud and protect the integrity of constitutional amendment petitions, while senators raised concerns about due process, public-records issues, burdens on volunteers, and the impact on voters and sponsors. The bill was not reported in the portion provided, and the discussion remained ongoing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you receive it by mail then uh then you have to go to the department of bureaucracy to to go check
• If you receive it by mail then uh then you have to go to the department of bureaucracy to to go check
• If you receive it by mail then uh then you have to go to the department of bureaucracy to to go check
• I just got my tax bill and then I, you know, prepare to write the check.
• So, you will be noticed by email and also check the House calendar.

Keywords: 1189, house, all